The Pit: A Group Encounter Defiled
Encyclopedia
The Pit: A Group Encounter Defiled is a non-fiction
book on Mind Dynamics
, Leadership Dynamics
, and Holiday Magic
, written by Gene Church and Conrad D. Carnes. The book was published Outerbridge & Lazard, Inc., in 1972, and was republished in a paperback edition in 1973, by Pocket Books
. The book was later the basis for the 1983 film, Circle of Power. The title refers to the encounter group movement that was prevalent at the time, which evolved into what psychologist
s began to term Large Group Awareness Training
.
The Pit: A Group Encounter Defiled is listed in the 1987 edition of Best Sellers, at the University of Scranton
archives. The book was featured in The New York Review of Books
, in 1973.
at Ohio State University
and Ohio University
. He had enrolled in the Leadership Dynamics
coursework as a requirement of his association with Holiday Magic
. At the time of the book's publication, Conrad D. Carnes was an attorney practicing law with the firm of Carnes & Hornbeck in Columbus, Ohio
.
The authors later wrote a follow-up book, Brainwash, in 1983. Gene Church also gave a related lecture series at universities, entitled: "An encounter group horror story."
, and included management executives from Holiday Magic
. The book revealed details of the events that went on during the coursework at Mind Dynamics
and Leadership Dynamics
. The book stated that Holiday Magic
participants in the Leadership Dynamics
sessions were required to register in the coursework, at a cost of USD$1,000, "..in order to get ahead in the company." Golembiewski stated that the book described "illustrative chapter and verse" of the coursework, including such training aids as a cross, a coffin, oxygen bottles, and piano wire. Participants that instructors deemed as "dead" to their lives, were told to stay in the coffin until they realized "..how much it means to be alive." Leadership Dynamics instructors felt that by putting individuals in a cage, they would "..appreciate the value of the freedom that they already possess." The cross was used to demonstrate what it felt like to be persecuted at work. There was also a "silver chalice", which was supposed to "..make each man face the truth honestly and so to understand himself and others better.."
articles which analyze encounter groups and large group awareness training
, including the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, and more recently in Human Resource Development Review, in 2005. The book has also been cited as a reference in other works which discuss these subjects, including Organization Development, Approaches to Planned Change, The Regulation of Psychotherapists, Handbook of Organizational Consultation, Managing Diversity in Organizations, and Self Realization.
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
book on Mind Dynamics
Mind Dynamics
Mind Dynamics was a seminar company, founded by Alexander Everett in Texas in 1968. Mind Dynamics later led to two other companies, est and Lifespring....
, Leadership Dynamics
Leadership Dynamics
Leadership Dynamics, also known as Leadership Dynamics Institute , was a private, for-profit company, owned by William Penn Patrick. The company focused on executive training, personal development and self-improvement...
, and Holiday Magic
Holiday Magic
Holiday Magic was a multi-level marketing organization, founded in 1964, by William Penn Patrick in the United States. Originally the organization distributed goods such as home-care products and cosmetics....
, written by Gene Church and Conrad D. Carnes. The book was published Outerbridge & Lazard, Inc., in 1972, and was republished in a paperback edition in 1973, by Pocket Books
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
. The book was later the basis for the 1983 film, Circle of Power. The title refers to the encounter group movement that was prevalent at the time, which evolved into what psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
s began to term Large Group Awareness Training
Large Group Awareness Training
Large-group awareness training refers to activities usually offered by groups linked with the human potential movement which claim to increase self-awareness and bring about desirable transformations in individuals' personal lives...
.
The Pit: A Group Encounter Defiled is listed in the 1987 edition of Best Sellers, at the University of Scranton
University of Scranton
The University of Scranton is a private, co-educational Catholic and Jesuit university, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the northeast region of the state. The school was founded in 1888 by Most Rev. William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. It was elevated to a...
archives. The book was featured in The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books is a fortnightly magazine with articles on literature, culture and current affairs. Published in New York City, it takes as its point of departure that the discussion of important books is itself an indispensable literary activity...
, in 1973.
Authors
Gene Church had previously studied psychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
and Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
. He had enrolled in the Leadership Dynamics
Leadership Dynamics
Leadership Dynamics, also known as Leadership Dynamics Institute , was a private, for-profit company, owned by William Penn Patrick. The company focused on executive training, personal development and self-improvement...
coursework as a requirement of his association with Holiday Magic
Holiday Magic
Holiday Magic was a multi-level marketing organization, founded in 1964, by William Penn Patrick in the United States. Originally the organization distributed goods such as home-care products and cosmetics....
. At the time of the book's publication, Conrad D. Carnes was an attorney practicing law with the firm of Carnes & Hornbeck in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
The authors later wrote a follow-up book, Brainwash, in 1983. Gene Church also gave a related lecture series at universities, entitled: "An encounter group horror story."
Summary
Events depicted in the book took place over four-days at the Hyatt House motel in Palo Alto, CaliforniaPalo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, and included management executives from Holiday Magic
Holiday Magic
Holiday Magic was a multi-level marketing organization, founded in 1964, by William Penn Patrick in the United States. Originally the organization distributed goods such as home-care products and cosmetics....
. The book revealed details of the events that went on during the coursework at Mind Dynamics
Mind Dynamics
Mind Dynamics was a seminar company, founded by Alexander Everett in Texas in 1968. Mind Dynamics later led to two other companies, est and Lifespring....
and Leadership Dynamics
Leadership Dynamics
Leadership Dynamics, also known as Leadership Dynamics Institute , was a private, for-profit company, owned by William Penn Patrick. The company focused on executive training, personal development and self-improvement...
. The book stated that Holiday Magic
Holiday Magic
Holiday Magic was a multi-level marketing organization, founded in 1964, by William Penn Patrick in the United States. Originally the organization distributed goods such as home-care products and cosmetics....
participants in the Leadership Dynamics
Leadership Dynamics
Leadership Dynamics, also known as Leadership Dynamics Institute , was a private, for-profit company, owned by William Penn Patrick. The company focused on executive training, personal development and self-improvement...
sessions were required to register in the coursework, at a cost of USD$1,000, "..in order to get ahead in the company." Golembiewski stated that the book described "illustrative chapter and verse" of the coursework, including such training aids as a cross, a coffin, oxygen bottles, and piano wire. Participants that instructors deemed as "dead" to their lives, were told to stay in the coffin until they realized "..how much it means to be alive." Leadership Dynamics instructors felt that by putting individuals in a cage, they would "..appreciate the value of the freedom that they already possess." The cross was used to demonstrate what it felt like to be persecuted at work. There was also a "silver chalice", which was supposed to "..make each man face the truth honestly and so to understand himself and others better.."
Cited by other works
The Pit: A Group Encounter Defiled has been cited in academic journalAcademic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
articles which analyze encounter groups and large group awareness training
Large Group Awareness Training
Large-group awareness training refers to activities usually offered by groups linked with the human potential movement which claim to increase self-awareness and bring about desirable transformations in individuals' personal lives...
, including the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, and more recently in Human Resource Development Review, in 2005. The book has also been cited as a reference in other works which discuss these subjects, including Organization Development, Approaches to Planned Change, The Regulation of Psychotherapists, Handbook of Organizational Consultation, Managing Diversity in Organizations, and Self Realization.
External links
- Circle of Power, IMDB, film based on the book (also known as "Naked Weekend", and "Brainwash")
- Circle of Power, Allmovie
- Naked Weekend, review, Roger EbertRoger EbertRoger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...